Zeus | Even

Zeus has a lot of burst potential and due to how his abilities work it can be quiet easy for him to kill if you aren't careful.

Array
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[god] => Array
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[god_id] => 4
[display_name] => Zeus
[url] => zeus
)
[scoreVal] => 3
[notes] => Zeus has a lot of burst potential and due to how his abilities work it can be quiet easy for him to kill if you aren't careful.
)
1

He Bo | Minor

He Bo is mostly just a threat due to his burst potential. As long as you get the jump on him you should be okay, but if he has the chance to counter-attack, it could quickly spell disaster.

Array
(
[god] => Array
(
[god_id] => 15
[display_name] => He Bo
[url] => he-bo
)
[scoreVal] => 4
[notes] => He Bo is mostly just a threat due to his burst potential. As long as you get the jump on him you should be okay, but if he has the chance to counter-attack, it could quickly spell disaster.
)
1

Ne Zha | Minor

Ne Zha, like other assassin's can quickly burst Scylla down if you aren't careful so air on the side of caution when dealing with such characters.

Array
(
[god] => Array
(
[god_id] => 34
[display_name] => Ne Zha
[url] => ne-zha
)
[scoreVal] => 4
[notes] => Ne Zha, like other assassin's can quickly burst Scylla down if you aren't careful so air on the side of caution when dealing with such characters.
)
1

Serqet | Tiny

Serqet has some disruption potential so be careful when attacking near her.

Preface

If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or suggestions about this build please feel free to post a comment or send me a message! I'm always looking for constructive criticisms and ways that I can improve this build. Anything to help you become the best Scylla that you can be!

Introduction

Salutations fellow Smiters! My name is AlyciaFear and I've decided that it is finally time for me to pass on my knowledge of my favorite god in this game, Scylla. I have decided to also share various videos of my past games which were typically recorded to just show off to my friends, but now I figure they can serve a more educational purpose. While I do have a lot of experience with Scylla, I do not in any way claim to be the greatest Scylla player. That being said, I am always open to suggestions and constructive criticisms so please feel free to offer me any feedback you may have!

I am approaching the point where I think I might actually branch off from Scylla and start expanding my god pool to begin playing more competitively. and for that reason I feel like now is as good a time as any to pass on my Scylla knowledge to the masses.

For those of you curious about my experience with her feel free to check the About Me chapter towards the end of this guide, otherwise just trust me when I say that I have a good amount of time with her.

How This Guide got its Name

I was going to originally title this guide AlyciaFear's Guide to Scylla because I want this guide to teach people all I know about her and about how I play her. However, after I took a step back and began to reflect on my build and playstyle of Scylla I quickly came to the realization that I play her very "assassin-like". And thus the Assassin Scylla guide was born.

Disclaimer

Please note that this guide is not perfect and will not cover every possible situation but I will try and give you as much information as possible to get the most out of it. There is A LOT of information in this guide and if you are legitimately considering using my strategies to their fullest potential I strongly recommend that you read through everything. It will not only give you insight into HOW to use my build and tactics but also some insight into WHY I built it this why and WHEN you should use this build.

Are you new to Smite and interested in Scylla? Are you a regular Smite player but never really played Scylla? Do you just need a refresher on what all this demon child is capable of? Feel free to jump to my School of Scylla chapter towards the end of this guide to teach you everything you need to know!

Should I Use This Build?

To determine if this build is right for you, simply answer the following two questions:

Question 1: What is your knowledge of Smite?

Beginner: You are relatively new to the game and have little to no experience.

Not Recommended

Intermediate: You are experienced in the game and at the very least are familiar with each gods abilities. *Note: This does not mean you are able to play every god, just that you have played against every god enough to the point that you have a rough idea of what their kit entails.

Potentially too difficult

Skilled: You are a veteran of the game. You know the abilities of each god and are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of gods, items and builds. You are able to adjust your build depending on team comps, as well as ally and enemy builds.

Go Right Ahead!

Expert: You play Smite at the highest level of play. Enough said.

Go Right Ahead!

Question 2: What is your knowledge of Scylla?

For this I would just recommend that you don't use this build right out of the gate if you've never played Scylla. Fortunately, she is one of the easier gods in the game to learn so the time to get up and running with this build shouldn't be anything crazy.

That being said, I do recommend that you have enough experience with her to be able to use her abilities without struggling to remember which button to press. If you consider yourself Skilled or higher in Smite, then 1 or 2 casual Arena matches should be more than enough to get you comfortable with her and ready to start using this build.

If you meet the criteria to both of these questions then feel free to move on to the next stage of this guide and begin your learning!

Skill Leveling

For this build I typically run the most common skill sequence for Scylla. Due to SmiteFire not being able to allow for Point Skipping (something crucial for Scylla) I will instead note it here to avoid confusion.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Why This Skill Order?

For those who may not why I use this skill order (or why it is so common on Scylla), it is because of her passive Quick Learner. The first and main goal of leveling up Scylla's skills should be to get Crush at max rank as soon as possible for several reasons.

Crush is Scylla's main wave clear

At Max Rank Crush will absolutely shred enemy protections

Thanks to Quick Learner, once Crush is maxed out you get 25 Magical Power for free.

At Rank 8 you aren't able to put your last point into Crush so the only alternative would be to spend the point in Sic 'Em or Sentinel. However, if you did this you wouldn't be able to instead spend that point into her ult. As a sort of 'loop hole' you simply skip putting a point in at Rank 8 and instead put it in at Rank 9 where you are also able to level up I'm a Monster.

Items

I will start this section by just giving you a general table of the common builds and then I will give some further in-depth explanations as well as some possible variations for those who are interested.

Remember, these builds are general guidelines so you may need to make changes to them depending on the situation of your current game. This is part of the reason I only recommend this build for more seasoned players as less experienced players may not know when or how they should be adjusting the build.

*Note: If you are playing in Conquest then Item #1 should technically be Mage's Blessing after which you will sell it once you are ready to build your 6th item. The listed items are only of the FINAL build, not the exact item purchase order.

Build

Item #1

Item #2

Item #3

Item #4

Item #5

Item #6

Standard

Anti-Tank

Survivability

FLEX

*Note: The builds listed in the table above are only the average builds that will be used against any given team comp. However, you should always be flexible with your builds and make adaptions as needed. Whether you change the order in which you build or change the items of the build, it is ultimately up to your best judgement.

Standard Build Breakdown

When and Why?

You will typically want to run this build against standard or exceptionally squishy team comps. This build has minimal Pen and a ton of Power and CDR to maximize your killing potential. Below are some possible team variations this might be good against:

Guardian

Warrior

Mage

Mage

Hunter

Guardian

Warrior

Mage

Assassin

Hunter

Warrior

Mage

Mage

Assassin

Hunter

Warrior

Warrior

Mage

Assassin

Hunter

Ultimately your knowledge of Smite will be the best indicator as to when you should use this build. Some gods such as Zhong Kui are a lot more Tanky than most in their class and as such should be taken into consideration when determining what build you should run with.

Standard Build Breakdown

I personally prefer Shoes of the Magi as my first item because of the extra Pen you get from it. However, Shoes of Focus is an acceptable alternative if you prefer Cooldown Reduction or if you simply don't need the extra Pen. As I stated before, if you are on Conquest then you should pick up Mage's Blessing and then go into boots.

Your next item should almost always be Book of Thoth because of the massive amount of power it provides to you late game. At Level 20, Fully Stacked (with Polynomicon) this item provides Scylla a total of +216 Magical Power making it an almost must have for her. However, if you feel that you need some extra HP then I recommend getting Warlock's Staff instead.

Your third item should almost always be Polynomicon. The primary reason for this has to do with timing. By the time you get to your third item you should be close to Level 12 and should have most of your stacks on Book of Thoth. By this point Scylla is coming online and it is time to start getting more offensive.

However, if you feel you are too far behind or are not ready to get more offensive, then do not be afraid to tweak the order and build this item later. You should always be flexible with your build based on the situation of your current game. See the chapter Why Polynomicon? for a more in-depth analysis of why I use this item.

Your fourth item will typically be your Pen item. For me this is almost always Spear of Desolation. But, there will be variations to this depending on your situation. For instance, if the enemy team has a large amount of healing, then you will want to opt for Divine Ruin instead. Additionally, if the enemy team is somewhat tanky (but not enough to warrant the full tank build), then you can go hybrid and build Obsidian Shard here. Ultimately, it will

come down to your best judgement of your specific situation.

Your 5th item will usually be Chronos' Pendant. This item is always a good pick on Scylla because of the incredible Cooldown Reduction that it provides.

Your 6th and final item will almost always be Rod of Tahuti. This item is an excellent choice on Scylla because of the massive amount of Magical Power it provides and how good the passive on it is.

Anti-Tank Build Breakdown

When and Why?

You will typically want to run this build against comps that are more tanky than usual. This build has a lot of Pen and a ton of Power (as well as some unique items) to maximize your killing potential. Below are some possible team variations this might be good against:

Guardian

Guardian

Mage

Mage

Hunter

Guardian

Warrior

Warrior

Assassin

Hunter

Guardian

Guardian

Warrior

Hunter

Mage

Warrior

Warrior

Warrior

Mage

Mage

Ultimately your knowledge of Smite will be the best indicator as to when you should use this build. Some gods such as Zhong Kui are a lot more Tanky than most in their class and as such should be taken into consideration when determining what build you should run with.

Anti-Tank Build Breakdown

Your first item in this build should be shoes of magi. The extra Pen that it provides is invaluable when up against Tanky teams.

Your next item should almost always be Book of Thoth because of the massive amount of power it provides to you late game. At Level 20, Fully Stacked (with Polynomicon/Soul Reaver) this item provides Scylla a total of +231 Magical Power making it an almost must have for her.

Your third item should be Obsidian Shard. This item is invaluable against Tanks thanks to the Percent-Pen that it provides.

Your fourth item should be Polynomicon. If you so chose you can build it third; however, it will be less effective against Tanky teams if you don't have sufficient Pen.

See the chapter Why Polynomicon? for a more in-depth analysis of why I use this item.

Your 5th item in this build should be Soul Reaver. As of 5.13 this item now has Ethereal Staff's old passive making it exceptionally useful against tanky targets. Not to mention the +300 Mana pairs well with Book of Thoth's passive meaning that late game this item actually provides +145 Magical Power.

Your 6th and final item will almost always be Rod of Tahuti. This item is an excellent choice on Scylla because of the massive amount of Magical Power it provides and how good the passive on it is (especially against tanky targets).

Survivability Build Breakdown

When and Why?

You will typically want to run this build against comps that you might not be as comfortable facing as you normally would other comps. For instance, if you were up against other Burst gods such as Loki, Zeus, Da Ji, or Ne Zha who could potentially kill you before you kill them.

Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to use this build is up to you and the situation you're in. If you need some survivability then go for this build.

Standard Build Breakdown

The first item of this build should typically be Shoes of Focus. If you're in a match-up that you aren't necessarily comfortable with then extra CDR is always a good option to keep you safe. If you feel that you can go Shoes of the Magi then by all means go for it.

Your next item should likely be Warlock's Staff. This item is always a safe pickup for Scylla when she needs a little extra health to survive against a less-than-favorable match-up.

Your third item will likely need to be Chronos' Pendant. Like Shoes of Focus this item is excellent for the CDR that it provides. Being able to use your abilities more often, means less time being vulnerable to the enemy team. But again, if you need to switch up the order of this build then do so at your own discretion.

Your fourth item will typically be your Pen item. For me this is almost always Spear of Desolation, but can vary depending on the enemy teams composition. Other valid items include Divine Ruin against healing teams or Obsidian Shard against more tanky teams.

Flex Item

Your 5th item is going to be your Flex item and will be up to you to decide what is best. Some possible suggestions include: Magi's Cloak for teams with high CC, Mantle of Discord if you really need protections (though bear the cost in mind), or Celestial Legion Helm if the enemy has high-burst Assassins. If you feel comfortable to go damage then by all means pick up Polynomicon or another damage item. This item is ultimately up to you.

Your 6th and final item will almost always be Rod of Tahuti. This item is an excellent choice on Scylla because of the massive amount of Magical Power it provides and how good the passive on it is. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense!

Hybridization of Builds

Since these three builds are not universally perfect, it may be necessary for you to make tweaks to them depending on your situation. Below are some example 'hybrid' builds you may need to use.

Build Situation

Item #1

Item #2

Item #3

Item #4

Item #5

Item #6

Some defense/anti tank

Max Dmg - Little CDR

Gimme CDR

Slightly Tanky Comp

Squishy Healing Comp

Tanky Healing Comp

I do what I want.

FLEX

FLEX

FLEX

FLEX

FLEX

FLEX

Why would you do this? And yes I've tried it

Tank Scylla

Anyway the list goes one but those are just some of the example builds that you could potentially use, though there are a few of them that I can't necessarily endorse (even if they are a bit fun to play *cough* *cough*).

Relics & Consumables

Relics

Relics

I will almost always get Purification Beads as my first relic. I find that this relic is much more useful on Scylla as opposed to Aegis Amulet. The main reason for this has to do with her being a mage who has an escape. If you're in a bad situation and you use Aegis, then you are no longer able to use Sentinel to get to safety and end up being a sitting duck.

The next relic for this build should be Blink Rune. This item makes it extremely easy to close the distance on an enemy as well as take them by surprise while preserving your Sentinel. However, if you do find yourself in a game where you really don't think you'll get much benefit from it, then by all means go for Aegis Amulet or another relic you're comfortable with.

Consumables

Consumables

Consumables will ultimately vary depending on what gamemode you're playing and your preferences so I will just list out some possible recommendations.

I will note that you should likely get this item relatively early if possible. Warding is crucial to surviving in Conquest.

Late Game

Once you reach end game get anything to boost your power. I will typically get Elixir of Defense first simply because at this stage in the game Scylla can already basically kill anyone but it's really up to you as to which one you get.

Arena

Early Game

Early Game consumables aren't typically necessary for Arena.

Mid Game

Mid Game consumables aren't typically necessary for Arena.

Late Game

If you're able to afford these items before the match ends, then feel free to pick them up as they are always useful.

Why Polynomicon?

As of today's date (07/19/2018) I checked on Smite.Guru's most popular items for Scylla and Polynomicon is not listed for any of the game modes. So why on earth is this item in almost all of my builds?

To start this off, let's look through all of the pros and cons of this item.

Pro #1: Combining with Book of Thoth
The first Pro of this item is that the extra mana pairs well with Book of Thoth's passive. Giving you +300 Mana combined with the 5% Mana to Power conversion from Book of Thoth (as of 5.13) gives you a total of +15 Power. This means that this item will effectively give you a total of +90 Power. This is definitely nice, but it's nothing to write home about.

Pro #2: Lifesteal?
The second benefit to this item is the Lifesteal... well sort of. As most of you may know Lifesteal typically isn't the best for Scylla. Not to mention this is the the only Lifesteal item in this build so with all that said this benefit is nice but again, nothing to write home about.

Pro #3: The Passive
The real reason to build this item on Scylla is its passive. As most of you already know Scylla is a god who, in the late game, can have some of the highest Magical Power of any god in Smite (mostly because of the free +100 Magical Power she gets from Quick Learner). And guess what Polynomicon's passive is based on? That's right, Magical Power.

Just how good is Polynomicon's Passive?

The power of Polynomicon

To answer this question let's rewind for a moment. Thanks to Scylla's third ability Sentinel she is only one of roughly eight Mages who possess some form of escape, while the rest of the mages either have nothing mobility wise, or simply a minor buff to movement speed. While this does mean that she is a safer god to play, it also means that she loses out on a large amount of damage when compared to the full kits of other mages.

That being said, I have had many, many, many, incidents where I use a Sic 'Em + Crush combo and the enemy gods escape with no more than 10% - 20% HP (sometimes even less than that). If only, if only, if only... If only Scylla had a third damaging ability. Enter Polynomicon.

I ran some tests on the 5.13 PTS just to give you an idea of what this item is capable of. The Standard Scylla build I listed in the previous chapter above yields 786 Magical Power. Multiply that by 0.75% and you get 590 Magical Power, granted that this is before Protection/Mitigation calculations. But regardless, that's a lot of free damage.

What does this all mean? Well since Polynomicon is applied the moment a basic attack lands, this effectively means that Scylla (a Mage mind you) can throw out a basic attack that deals +658 Damage. If the target has Crush at their feet? Make that +729 Damage, which is dangerously close to Sic 'Em.

What if I told you...

Let's think about it this way. What if I told you that Scylla could unlock a secret 4th ability later on in a match by buying a certain item? What if I told you that this ability went something like this:

Within 8 seconds of using an ability Scylla may throw out a Basic Attack that deals 34 (+ 1.45 per/level) + 95% of Magical Power. The effect can only apply once every 3 seconds.

Well guess what? That's how much damage her Basic Attack deals when augmented with Polynomicon. One little fact I want to point out is that Sic 'Em only scales 80% of your Magical Power, and Crush scales 90%, meaning that technically this attack has a higher Magical Power scaling than Scylla's 1 or 2 (the only reason they still deal slightly more damage is because of their much higher base damage).

So what is the major con of this item? It requires aim. If you miss the basic attack then tough luck. But, for those of you with bad aim there is an upside. Scylla's first ability Sic 'Em is a root and at max rank can root up to three targets. Who needs to aim when your target can't move?

Polynomicon is probably the defining item of the Assassin Scylla build (next to Blink Rune). But, if this argument wasn't enough to sway you, then there's one more hidden benefit that a lot of people don't take into consideration.

Pro #4: Camps & Towers
Polynomicon can be used against Jungle Camps and Towers. This means later on Scylla becomes that much more effective against the Gold Fury and Fire Giant (as well as Buff camps I guess). Which is nice, but now Scylla is also capable of sieging towers and phoenixes; something she typically doesn't excel at. My typical strategy goes something like this:

Sic 'Em + Poly-Auto + (2 basics) + Crush + Poly-Auto + (2 basics).
Rinse and repeat. When you're ready to go you can lead out your Sentinel and throw one last Poly-Auto at the structure (but only do so if it is safe). Where possible be sure to use Sic 'Em and Crush on minions (or enemy gods if the tower is already aggro'd to an ally).

I will note that while this does enable her to better bring down structures, it does come with some risks. For one, she has to use an ability each time she wants to proc' Polynomicon. If there are no targets, then you effectively have to waste an ability which can leave you vulnerable so be careful and use your best judgement when sieging structures and boss camps.

Gameplay & How to Assassinate

By now you should be familiar with my build, why I built it the way have, and all of the various ways you can tweak it depending on your game, so now it's time to get to the fun. Using this build to Assassinate your opponents. While it may sound intimidating at first, it is actually an extremely simple combo, and isn't anything that I would claim is 'new' to Smite.

However, I will say that in my almost 3 years of Smite I have yet to see another Scylla player use a similar build or playstyle (though let's be honest Scylla isn't exactly a god you see in every game). I will say that there have been several Scylla players who have faced me as I used this build/technique and they were thoroughly impressed with it. They have even followed up with me and told me of their successes with it so hopefully you'll get some good use out of it as well!

The Technique

Assassin Scylla

So what exactly is this 'Mystical', 'Mysterious', technique that turns Scylla into a deadly Assassin? Well first let's just get a 10,000 foot view of how this works and then we'll go more in-depth to each of the steps:

Step 1: Blink
This step isn't actually necessary or mandatory, especially if Blink Rune is on Cooldown or if it just isn't necessary in a situation. Using Blink just helps to give you an edge in an attack to take your target off guard. So if you see an opening to get some value out of Blink then go for it, otherwise feel free to skip this step.

Step 2: Sic 'Em
Once you are in range of your target it's time to lock them down so go ahead and throw out your Sic 'Em. Not much else to this step and is pretty straight forward.

Step 3: Drop Crush
Once your target is nice and rooted go ahead and place Crush at their feet (making sure to center it on them as best you can). I typically do not detonate Crush just (especially when it's at max rank for the Protection Shred). This will be useful for the next step.

It is also worth noting that if your target is cleansed of their root and are in the process of escaping Crush it is of course okay to go ahead detonate it to get that damage off, but if possible, let it loom ominously at their feet.

Step 4: Basic Attack
Once Crush has been placed at your targets feet it's time to hit them with a basic attack. Normally Scylla's basic attacks do nothing more than tickle your opponent but with this build it should now be backed with the power of Polynomicon. Needless to say it will cause some serious damage.

Step 5: Detonate Crush
Before you detonate Crush it is worth noting that sometimes you will want to wait 1 or 2 more seconds. By this point your target has been dealt over 1,400 Damage and will likely try and use Aegis Amulet (if they have it). Sometimes you should wait to Detonate Crush and sometimes you should Detonate ASAP, ultimately this will just come down to luck and some good guess work.

But, when all is said and done Crush should be more than capable of finishing off your target (unless they are super tanky, but more on this later).

Step 6: Sentinel
Once your target is good and dead, go ahead and use Sentinel to escape to safety (if necessary).

Pros & Cons

Now that we've gone over the technique, let's take a look at the ups and downs to this technique. So first, let's look at the negatives.

Cons
One of the biggest cons to this is that like with most Assassin combo's it can be countered. One such method of countering is Purification Beads + Aegis Amulet (though to be honest if you burn two relics then that is still quiet good).

The main issue with this is of course around the enemy team comp. If the enemy has a lot of CC, or the enemy team is well coordinated and are constantly grouped then it can be difficult for you to properly execute your target without you yourself getting sent back to the fountain.

Pros
The hands down, #1 Pro to this build is its flexibility. If most other Assassin's in Smite get shut down by team comps that are well grouped or have a lot of CC, well guess what? That Assassin is likely not going to be of much use that game.

But with this build, you still have a ton of damage output. And guess what? You're still Scylla. If you can't go around Assassinating people, then simply play Scylla like you would normally play her which is from the backline dishing out the pain.

Even if you can't be as offensive and Assassinate people you still have the flexibility of reverting back to your bakline-mage role. Another major point is that this combo works just as well defensively. If any enemy dives you on backline, you simply use this combo and they're still as good as dead.

So in the end I suppose this is the biggest takeaway of this combo and build. It doesn't have to be used only when 'Assassinating' an unsuspecting enemy. This combo is still just as effective when playing Scylla in her typical playstyle. So if there's one thing I want you to remember, it's that you can essentially get a third abilities worth of damage through Polynomicon.

Demonstration Video

Demonstration Video

*Note: While this build does deal a substantial amount of damage please keep in mind that this video is of tests performed on bots in Jungle Practice. These bots do not build items and as such is not a perfect representation of this builds damage output. This video serves only to demonstrate HOW to perform the combo.

I strongly recommend that you practice this build and combo either in PvE, or in Casual matches to get a feel for what kind of numbers it can dish out against specific gods and builds.

Assassin Scylla in Practice

*Note: These videos are just of past recorded kills with this build and were mostly to just show off to my friends. As such you do not necessarily need to watch them. I will however, post them to serve as examples of what this build is capable of (specifically Polynomicon on Scylla) for any who are interested.

End of Arena Match

*Note: This video was one I posted long before I ever considered making this guide (it was originally posted so that I could prove to a friend that I was good with Scylla).

However, even though I never intended this video for a guide, I feel it can still serve as an excellent example of this build in practice. I recommend keeping an eye on the extra damage that Polynomicon is able to deal against the various gods in the team fight.

Specifically these kills:

First kill (Isis)

Second kill (Bakasura)

Fifth kill (Bakasura)

Build Used Defensively

*Note: This video is one I recorded long ago but figured it could serve as an excellent example as to how this build has other applications outside of being used offensively.

The Old Switcharoo

*Note: This video shows just how much burst damage this build has. For starters, notice that despite me missing Sic 'Em against Nox, Polynomicon still dealt enough damage to allow me to get the kill (further proving that this item essentially acts a 3rd damaging ability for Scylla).

It is also worth noting that I built Warlock's Staff and actually had less power in this game than I was able to achieve in my 5.13 demo of the combo (meaning this will be all the more deadly).

An Unexpected Assassination

Another Unexpected Assassination

*Note: This video serves as another example of how this build can be used, even without Blink Rune.

This also serves as an example about the importance of warding. If warding has value in a mode like Clash, then imagine how much more crucial it is for Conquest.

Why you shouldn't lazy back

3 Examples of Polynomicon at Work

*Note: This video shows three different examples of Polynomicon at work on Scylla, and also show that once you get someone with Sic 'Em they're almost as good as dead.

School of Scylla

Scylla 101 will cover the basics of what type of god Scylla is, her abilities and some tips on how to play her. I wouldn't consider this a 'comprehensive' guide of her but should be enough information for beginning players to get started with practicing her.

Scylla 101

Scylla 101: A Course for Beginners

God Type and Class
Scylla is a god in the 'Mage' class meaning that she deals out Magical Damage. The only other class that deals Magical Damage are Guardians. The difference in Mages and Guardians is that Mages are typically more 'squishy' but dish out a lot more damage whereas Guardians are typically more 'tanky' with less damage output. Scylla lives up to her Mage status and as such is extremely squishy with a ridiculous amount of damage behind her (dare I say she is the definition of 'Glass Cannon'). Her abilities and basic attacks are all ranged meaning she is capable of attacking from a relatively safe distance.

Scylla is widely considered to be a Late-Game god. What this means is that she will struggle to be of use during the early game as her damage output is extremely low. If she falls behind then she can potentially be useless for the rest of the match but on the flip side, if she gets ahead in a game she can be an absolute nightmare for the enemy team. This is extremely important for new players to keep in mind as the last thing you want is to fall behind with her.

The next important classification of Scylla is that she is considered an 'Ability-Based' god meaning most of her damage output will come from her Abilities. The other common classification is 'Attack-Based' or gods who get most of their damage output from basic attacks. Typically only Hunters are 'Attack-Based'; however, certain mages such as Sol or Chronos can be exceptions. All that to say, don't expect to get many kills from her basic attacks. You should definitely use her basic attacks when you can, but be sure you are constantly using her Abilities. This leads me into the next part of this tutorial:

Abilities (Basics)
All gods in Smite have 3 'basic' abilities and 1 Ultimate ability (with the exception of 'Stance' gods, but since Scylla is not a 'Stance' god I will not be discussing that here). Listed below are all 4 of Scylla's abilities, and a very basic rundown of what they do and how to use them.

*Note: Please see the Scylla 201 section for a more in-depth look at these abilities and how they're affected by her passive.

Scylla's first ability is Sic 'Em. This ability is considered 'projectile' based meaning that it takes time to travel its full distance. This means that you should lead your target. If you're aiming at a god running to the right, you should aim it slightly ahead of your target to make sure it lands. This ability will deal damage to hit enemies and will also Root and Cripple them (meaning they are stuck in place and a cleanse must be used if they want to escape early).

It is also important to note that this ability will stop the moment it hits a target. This means that if you aim it at an enemy god, but a minion is in the way, the ability will land on the minion. Keep this in mind when using it and make sure you have a clear shot of your target.

Next thing to note is that this ability does not travel through walls so make sure not to accidentally clip the corner of a wall when aiming at a target, otherwise the ability could end up being wasted.

Scylla's second ability is Crush and is typically her main source of damage; so much so that it is sometimes considered to be her 'second Ultimate'. Crush is large 'Area of Effect' circle that has a short cast time to reach its location. After 5s it will detonate and deal an incredible amount of damage.

The important thing to note about this ability for new players is that once Crush is on the field you can activate the ability again to detonate it early (with no penalty to the damage dealt). This is useful for making sure you get the damage out before your target is able to walk out of the circle. It is also worth noting that this ability provides a slow to enemies so you can also use it zone away enemy gods and slow down any 'would be' pursuers.

Scylla's third ability is Sentinel and is her primary method of escape. When cast this ability will place out her hound Zoey which will act as a temporary ward. After 5s Zoey retreats and the ability wears off. However, if you activate the ability again (while it is currently active), Scylla will dash to the location of her hound.

It is important to note that even efter dashing to Zoey she will still stay active as a ward. This is useful because it allows you to retreat without needing to turn around and see if you're being followed. Instead simply check the mini-map as she will light up any gods that get near her. It is also worth noting that this ability also provides MP5 meaning that your mana will regenerate at a quicker rate.

You will typically want to save this ability as an escape so that if things start going bad for you, you can dash to safety; however, you can still use this ability offensively to close the distance on a weakend enemy god. Just bear in mind the long cooldown on this ability which could make you a sitting duck for a counter attack.

Scylla's fourth ability is her ultimate I'm a Monster. When it comes to teamfights, this ability is quiet possibly the most dangerous and powerful one in all of Smite, and if left unchecked by the enemy could spell an easy Pentakill. Due to the amount of information to cover around this ability, please move on to the next section "I'm a Monster".

I'm a Monster
Here I will give an in-depth and base-level explanation of Scylla's Ultimate for those who may not quiet understand all the jargon of the Abilities description.

The first thing to note about this ability is that it is an instant-cast (with respect to activation). This means that it will go off the moment the button is pressed (where her other 3 abilities give you an indicator before actually using it). I note this so that you don't accidentally use the ability thinking you will get a targeter first and end up wasting it.

Once activated (as the description says) Scylla will 'reveal her true nature'. All of her hounds come out and she grows quiet large in size and gains movement speed (of course meaning that she will move faster in this form). She becomes CC Immune meaning that there is no ability in the game that can stop her from moving and doing her thing. The only way to stop her is via walls, body-blocking, or right out killing her.

This form lasts for 6 seconds and is important to note that while that sounds short, in Smite time that is actually quiet long. When I first played her I would always panick and think that I had to use her Ultimate attack ASAP. Because of this, I would immediately attack without properly aiming the ability which caused me to end up wasting it much of the time. Practice this ability in Jungle Practice and get familiar with just how long it actually lasts.

While in this form you will notice a circular targeter (slightly smaller than Crush's radius) on the ground which indicates where your Ultimate will land. This simply means that you have 6s to move around and properly aim the actual damaging attack. It is worth noting you will also see a 'Ring' around the targeter that slowly shrinks around it. This is your indicator of how much time is left on your Ultimate so it is worth keeping an eye on it.

Once you have your targeter set on someone simply click the 'Attack' button and unleash her power. Without going into exact details and numbers, let me just put it this way: This ability hurts. A lot. Many of the squishier gods in the game can lose upwards of 80% of their health from a single strike of this ability. Once the damage is dealt the Ultimate ends and you revert back to your normal form.

If you recall from the 'Abilities' section I mentioned that this ability is quiet possibly the most dangerous and powerful ability for team fights. You're probably asking yourself "Why is that?". Well it has to do with a unique mechanic of her ultimate that only one other god ( Achilles) comes close to. If you kill an enemy god with her Ultimate instead of it ending, the 6s timer will reset (it only resets back to 6s, the time does NOT stack), and you will be allowed to use the attack again. There is no limit to the amount of times that this 'Reset' can happen.

With her ultimate, you could hit multiple enemy gods and if even one of them dies you get to use it again (and the survivors of the first strike are almost guaranteed to die after the second one). And with the timer resetting you can simply chase down the enemy gods one by one, striking again after each kill.

It is worth noting that even if you kill two or more gods with a single hit you still only get 1 additional use of the ability so the resets will not stack on multi-kills.

Tips & Tricks#1: Using Crush to clear lane
To maximize Crush on minion waves, throw out the ability ahead of the minions when possible. This will cause the minions in front to be slowed allowing the back of the wave to get inside Crush's perimeter before the front minions leave it. If possible, use 1 or 2 basic attacks on the minions up front to keep them inside Crush longer. Once the full wave is inside of Crush, detonate it. It is also worth noting that Crush can be detonated remotely from any distance so don't feel like you need to stay close to it to activate it.

#2: You don't have to dash to Zoey immediately
After the first cast of Sentinel you will notice a blue ring around you that slowly shrinks. This is an indicator letting you know how much longer you have on Sentinel meaning you can wait until just before the ring wears off before you actually dash to her location.

While you may want to immediately dash to Zoey after casting it to get to safety or get over a wall, it is worth noting you don't have to do so immediately. If you're going over a wall to get to a new location, wait for a split second and see if her ward picks up any enemies on the other side. This may help you from dashing into a less-than-favorable situation.

If an enemy god is chasing you and you know they have their own 'distance-closing' ability, you could try throwing Sentinel to the right while you run left. Wait out about 4s or so and see what the enemy god did. If they stopped following then you're probably safe to just let Sentinel wear off. If they're still pursuing you then activate Sentinel again and you will dash a much farther distance than if you had used it immediately.

#3: You can cancel Scylla's Ultimate early
Typically this isn't something you want to do, but in some cases it is the best decision to make; however, knowing when to cancel and when to strike is something you will learn through experience. The main reason I would ever cancel my ultimate is if I'm certain that I would die before getting another strike off. If that's the case then there is no point in trying and I should instead retreat. If there is already a good amount of distance between me and the enemy then I will just use the bonus movement speed from the Ultimate to escape, but if I feel I may not move fast enough to get to safety before I die then I would cancel the ult and immediately Sentinel away. Again, this is something that will come through experience but I just want to note it here so that you are informed it is an option.

The video below serves as an example of a situation where you might want to consider cancelling your ult early. I saw that my health was dangerously low and knew that if I were to strike again, I would like die while performing the casting animation.

Scylla 201 is for players who are relatively familiar with Scylla (at least having played against her, but maybe not played her themselves) and will primarily cover all the effects her passive Quick Learner has to offer.

Scylla 201

Scylla 201: An In-Depth look at Quick Learner

Scylla's passive is Quick Learner and has quiet a few different effects when compared to the passives of other gods. The first and most notable of effects is the free Magical Power that it gives you. For each ability at Max Rank (that is you have put 5 points into it) you gain +25 Magical Power. This means that once you reach Level 20 and have upgraded all of your abilities you get a grand total of +100 Magical Power for absolutely free. This alone makes it an extremely good passive, but the fun doesn't end there. Once one of her abilities reaches Max Rank that ability gains an additional effect making it even more powerful. Below I will go through just what this entails for each of her abilities.

Once Sic 'Em reaches max rank it will root two additional enemies that are near the first target. This means that it is possible for you to damage, root, and cripple 3 enemy gods at once. But it doesn't stop there. It also means that if you land this ability on a minion but an enemy god is near that minion, then you could still potentially end up rooting the enemy god. Keep this in mind when using this ability as it is possible to capture a group of enemies.

Once Crush reaches max rank it gains a two-fold effect. The first (but less important) effect is that any enemy god who takes damage from Crush will be slowed for an additional 1 second. The second effect (which is the real hitter) is that any enemy inside of Crush will have their Magical Protections reduced by an incredible 25% making enemies inside of Crush very very squishy.

Yes even Scylla's dash gets an upgrade at max rank. Once Sentinel reaches max rank it gains a two-fold effect. Firstly, you are able to cast it farther (though nothing to extreme) and the warded vision that it provides will now see through walls and other line of sight blockers. While this is definitely not a game changer it is still good non the less.

If everything listed above wasn't good enough, even her ultimate gets a boost at max rank. The additional effect is simple but terrifying. Once I'm a Monster hits max rank the Movement Speed bonus she gets from it doubles to +70% at max rank. This makes it all the more easier for her to chase down her prey while in her ult form.

About Me

Do You Actually Care About Me?

If you're reading this section then you're likely curious as to who the heck I am and why I'm putting up this guide. Am I just some troll trying to throw up a guide to get views? Have I ever actually played Scylla? Am I just someone who plays a lot of Scylla, but actually suck at her?

The short answer is simply: "Yes, I know how to play Scylla and have tested this build extensively."

But if you need some exact data then let's rewind to the beginning:
I started playing Smite back in late 2015. I don't remember the exact date but I do remember that Chiron was the first 'new' god introduced to the game meaning I started sometime after Sol and before Chiron. I originally got the game to play with one of my friends, but as fate would have it he stopped playing right as I started so I was left to the battlefield alone. It is worth mentioning that I had never played a MOBA before so imagine me in Conquest without a clue as to what I was doing.

I remember two distinct matches that I played in Conquest (one on Thanatos and one on Hades back when he was a guardian). Needless to say I did nothing of use that game and my team raged on me pretty hard. At that point I was coming dangerously close to giving up on the game as it wasn't appealing to me.

But then as fate would have it, I stumbled upon Scylla. She was easy enough for me to pick up and I thought that her ultimate was pretty cool; however, I never actually read up on her and didn't realize that her ult actually had a reset mechanic so I'm sure you can imagine my shock when it reset on me one game. I then did some research into her full kit, played some more games with her, and was immediately hooked on playing her. You would not be wrong in guessing that she is the only reason I still play this game.

So how much do I like her?
Well simply put I own a 3D printed model of Scylla, a Scylla t-shirt, as well as a Scylla hoodie and have legitimately considered having my first-born daughters middle name be Scylla (I wouldn't give it to her first name as it holds more significance for me so I figure middle name is sufficient). So it goes without saying that she is my all time favorite video game character.

So just how much experience do I have with her?
Well for starters I have done extensive amounts of research into her, stayed up to date with all of the changes made to her over the last few years, and have spent hours upon hours theory crafting and experimenting with her. I've tried builds such as Attack Speed/Movement Speed (against the advice of others because I just have to try things for myself), and even went through a month long stint of playing Tank Scylla which actually worked out somewhat well (though definitely not her strong suit).

What's the raw data of my Scylla experience?
Listed below are my top 5 gods in terms of Worshippers, Wins, Losses, Kills, Deaths, Assists and Playtime (keep in mind these stats are all-time so they will include my stats from when I first started playing the god and probably wasn't as good at them as I am now).

I also just want to clarify that I am only showing these stats to give some evidence as to the experience that I have with Scylla. If we're being honest I probably play her an unhealthy amount and I am probably the definition of a 'one-trick'.

*Note: These stats are as of (07/20/2018)

Rank

#5

#4

#3

#2

#1

Worshippers

156

431

582

2,120

26,260

Wins

9

26

27

108

1,690

Losses

9

28

51

123

955

Kills

63

78

264

1,414

20,253

Deaths

61

137

221

910

7,364

Assists

173

630

946

2,710

26,866

Playtime

5H 0M

17H 14M

24H 9M

71H 54M

829H 7M

For those of you not wanting to do maths my overall KDA with Scylla is ~4.57 and my KDR on her is ~2.75. I will again reiterate that those numbers are over-all and as such do include the matches from when I first started learning her and Smite, my Tank Scylla stint, and all of the crazy experimental Arena matches I've ran.

For a more up-to-date representation, I have listed below the various stats of my 100 most recent Scylla games. The reason I am posting these recent stats is because these are from matches that I have ran the 'Assassin Scylla' playstyle listed out in this guide so this should provide some insight into how effective this build has been for me.

Last 100 Games on Scylla (stats pulled from Smite.Guru)

Wins

Losses

W/L %

Kills

Deaths

Assists

KDA

KDR

76

24

76%

1,028

236

1,038

~ 6.56

~ 4.36

Again, I have only posted these to give some validity to my experience with Scylla. I wil also note that I rarely play Conquest so while I do have some experience with Season 5 Conquest it is not as strong as some other people. I have done my best to make this guide friendly for Conquest players but if you have any suggestions, corrections, or comments on this build please feel free to message me or post a comment! I am always looking for constructive criticisms and ways I can improve this build!

Quick Comment

Just wanted to say great guide, it was very intriguing to read, I even read the "About me" section believe it or not :D I loved the videos you included with regard to combos and the different build breakdowns. Will definitely have this guide pinned!

Looks like you archived your old guide and made a new one? (why didn't you just update the old one?)

General builds still look good without the mask. (RIP mask's < 1 week lifespan, lol)

Awesome that you added the skill leveling detail with point-skipping. Looks great there.

For the anti-tank build, I agree with the other comments that Obsidian Shard should be built late, due to how the passive works.

Great, great info in the rest of your guide. Her Sentinel's name is Zoey? LOL never knew that.

(spell check on "quite" in the first sentence in Scylla 201)

One thing you might consider emphasizing just a bit more is the CC immunity of her ult. You DO mention it, but talking about using it as an alt to blowing your Purification Beads and how you can use that to your advantage in some situations (like Ares' ult, where he becomes an easy target) would be nice.

That is a great autobiography. Very entertaining, and great info. Very solid stats. But you can tell that you're very familiar with her, even without the stats. Holy lots of stars, BTW.

I'll bear that stuff in mind. I only ever build new Soul Reaver against tanky comps because of its passive, synergy with Book of Thoth and massive Power, but against standard comps I probably won't build it. And yeah, I've been getting some good feedback on when Pen items should be built so I'll keep those suggestions in mind as I do some further testing <3

Just some feedback on items:
I know you've given plenty of examples in your "Hybridization of builds" under "Items". However, consider moving those examples to the top of your guide, in the purchase orders.
I'm under the impression people will just look at the builds without bothering to read the guide.

I definitely see the appeal of Polynomicon, and you've given some good examples to defend it on Scylla. I know this is an assassin Scylla build rather than a standard build. However, if I'm using my ult on grouped up enemies, I think I'd benefit from more penetration than Polynomicon, in that particular instance. So for optional items, explicitly say that more penetration can be a substitution for Polynomicon.

For the anti tank example build, your Obsidian Shard is in there way too early. Enemies, even tanks, simply haven't built up enough magical defense for Obsidian Shard to be of use. I'd move it to 5th or 6th item. This is also what I was talking about earlier - Move your item hybridizations to your examples build so people can see them when they open this guide.

Much appreciated! This guide is basically centered around using Polynomicon but I do see the validity in mentioning the potential drawbacks to it in terms of lost pen, as well as some alternatives that could be used. I will for sure make mention that this build is geared more around empowering Scylla outside of her ultimate as opposed to maximizing her ult potential.

I'll also be sure to note some of the Hybrids towards the top as well. I don't know why I didn't think of that.

As for the Anti-Tank build I wasn't entirely sure whether or not to have Obsidian Shard that soon but I can definitely see your point in building it later.

I'll be sure to update the guide with these changes at a later point when I have time to sit down with it again and really think them through. I really appreciate it! :3

SmiteFire & Smite

Smite is an online battleground between mythical gods. Players choose from a selection of gods, join session-based arena combat and use custom powers and team tactics against other players and minions. Smite is inspired by Defense of the Ancients (DotA) but instead of being above the action, the third-person camera brings you right into the combat. And, instead of clicking a map, you use WASD to move, dodge, and fight your way through the detailed graphics of SMITE's battlegrounds.